Builders or homeowners frequently hang electrical devices, such as fans or lighting fixtures, from cathedral ceilings. Typically the electrical devices are hung from the rafters that support the cathedral ceiling.
Several devices have been proposed for installing electrical devices on cathedral ceilings. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,592,788 and 5,806,269 to Corridon and U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,359 to Patterson propose various devices for mounting electrical devices on cathedral ceilings. Corridon's mounting system includes a cathedral ceiling fixture mount with a central bore. Screws pass through the mounting plate of the electrical device and through the central bore to engage a standard ceiling workbox. Patterson's mounting box is simply a covering device that obscures the 2×4 studs that are mounted between adjacent ceiling rafters for supporting the electrical device.
Unfortunately, all of the aforementioned prior art mounting devices require the installation of a separate device, such as a workbox or studs, to support the mounting box. Additionally, use of the prior art mounting devices limits the choice of location for hanging an electrical device, as the workbox of Corridon's mounting system must be secured to a rafter unless a support structure such as studs are installed between the rafters.
Prior art mounting devices therefore exhibit several limitations in for the installation of fans or fixtures on cathedral ceilings.